Preview: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians

There have been many twists and turns in this edition of the IPL. It now boils down to the last league game of this years tournament as two intense teams square off. Both teams have been plagued by inconsistency but they have showed remarkable grit in tough situations. Mumbai's defeat against Kolkata put them in a rather precarious position for the play-offs. However, with Rajasthan's unexpected loss to Deccan and with Punjab's defeat to Delhi, Mumbai have qualified for the play-offs and they will play this match with a little less pressure. Rajasthan will want to end their campaign on a high and win in their home ground.

Mumbai:

Consistency is defined as the achievement of a level of performance that does not vary greatly in quality over time. If there is one team that confounds this definition, it is Mumbai. If one takes a look at the team, one would notice that there are players who contribute in bits and pieces. Right from the opening batsmen till the bowlers, they have never fielded a same team for a prolonged period of time. Sachin Tendulkar has struggled for consistency while he has not had a steady opening partner. The return of Herschelle Gibbs has lent some solidity to the opening partnership. Rohit Sharma has been the star for Mumbai in this tournament and he will hold the key for this fixture. The inconsistency of the batsmen has resulted in Mumbai not winning on a regular basis this will be something that the team will look to iron out.

Their bowling is still heavily dependent on Lasith Malinga. RP Singh and Munaf Patel have picked up wickets but they have not maintained their consistency as far as containing runs is concerned. Harbhajan has hardly bowled his full quota of overs while Pollard and Dwayne Smith have regularly rolled their arm over. This policy seems to have served the team well and they will look to perform as a team unit and put one over Rajasthan in their fortress.

Rajasthan:

Rajasthan have fielded a steady side for most of the tournament but they are still plagued with inconsistency. After a great start by their opening batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Dravid, their form seems to have dipped at this stage of the tournament. Rajasthan will be hoping that they can regain their lost touch and fire at a crucial stage. The presence of Shane Watson boosts their batting line-up as he can change the course of the game with some brutal hitting. Johan Botha and Brad Hodge are the other players who have contributed at vital times to the team.

The bowling unit has not fired on a consistent basis. Shaun Tait continues to be wayward while Pankaj Singh and Amit Singh have struggled. Watson has lacked penetration while the spinners are unable to contain the flow of runs. Ajit Chandila was the hero in the match against Pune where he took a hat-trick. He has bowled well but he has not had support. Brad Hogg has not been given too many opportunities and one wonders what will be the team composition for this match

Qualification scenarios:

With Rajasthan's loss to Deccan and with Punjab's defeat at the hands of Delhi, Mumbai have secured qualification for the play-offs. Rajasthan have bowed out of contention.

Stats and Trivia:

- Sachin Tendulkar is just 22 runs away from becoming the third person to go past 2000 runs in the Indian T20 League. He currently has 1978 runs in 62 games.

- Ever since their victory in the 2008 edition of the tournament, Rajasthan have failed to qualify for the knock-out stages even once. Their best position was sixth in the 2011 edition of the tournament.